Carton handle



p 26, 1961 HOKENSON 3,001,688

CARTON HANDLE Filed Aug. 14, 1958 INVENTOR. A Y/V/V HO/Cf/VS O/V BY n wW United States Patent 3,001,688 CARTON HANDLE Lynn Hokenson, 2905Dogwood Road, Springfield, Ohio Filed Aug. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 754,994Claims. (Cl. 229-52) This invention relates to a carrying device andmoreparticularly to carton handle devices advantageously adapted forapplication to containers fabricated of paperboard or corrugatedmaterial. In preferred form, the invention also serves the function of aseal as will be hereinafter described.

While particular forms and applications of invention embodiments arepresented herein, such is not to be construed as limiting the nature andscope of the invention.

The self service aspect of todays markets has created a definite needfor improvements facilitating the lifting and carrying of products fromthe market shelves. This is particularly so when economy packaging ofproducts results in containers of substantial weight, as in the instanceof large containers of products in granule or powder form. Various typesof carrying handles have been provided for such packages. The majorproblem has been 'the difficulty in providing a handle which is at thesame time easy to grasp, of suflicient strength to support the necessaryweight, sutnciently interlocked with the package to prevent breakage inlifting and carrying thereof, low in cost and simple to fabricate andapply. To date the prior art devices for such purposes do not appear tomeet the noted requisites to optimum advantage.

The present invention corrects the weakness in prior art carryingdevices. It affords embodiments which can be readily inserted as unitarystructure in any container shell or, in the alternative, may beintegrally incorpo-' rated in any container shell fabricated withcorrugated material as a component part thereof. Invention embodimentsare extremely easy to apply, durable, re-usable and low in cost.

A primary objectof the invention is to provide improvements in containercarrying devices whereby such devices may be economically fabricated,more eflicient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety ofapplications and more convenient to handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cartonhandle device particularly advantageous in application to corrugatedcontainers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an im-' proved carryingdevice of a unitary nature which may be simply introduced in anycontainer structure without modification or mutilation thereof so as toprovide a strong effective suspension means therefor.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved cartoncarrying device freely insertable within the closure flaps of any cartonto serve a dual function of a cover for the products in the carton andprovide a handle means projecting exteriorly of the flaps on closurethereof for ready carrying of the carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved carryingdevice for containers consisting of a corrugated board element having ahandle providing aligned loops projecting in one surface to bethreadedly. engaged by a rod disposed longitudinally within thecorrugated board between adjacent corrugations thereof.

A'furthcr object of theinvention is to provide means medium'of therod'lZ.

Patented Sept. .26, 1961 insertion in apertures in the exterior surfaceof the container between adjacent corrugations used in combination witha rod inserted longitudinally between said adjacent corrugations forengagement of said handle. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton handlepossessing the advantageou structural features, the inherent meritoriouscharacteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above and other incidental objects in view as will more fullyappear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected byLetters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts andcombinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafterdescribedor illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one butobviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective elevation view of a container incorporating acarton carrying device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the device illustrated in FIG; 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional detail view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG.

3;'and

FIG. 5 is a perspective elevation view of a corrugated containerembodying a further modification of the invention. 1 7

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe several Views.

The invention can be best described with aparticular reference to thedrawings. FIG. 1 illustrates a paperboard container 1 which may befilled with granular soap or detergent products, for example. Thecontainer 1 is provided with the normal inn-er flaps 2 which fold overfrom its sides to have their extremities in relatively spaced relationand outer flaps 3 at right angles thereto folded from the front and backface of the container to have their extremities in spaced relation.

. The invention embodiment as disclosed in FIGS. 1-4 includes arectangular section 4 of corrugated fiberboard consisting of upper andlower sheets 5 and 6 sandwiching a corrugated sheet 7 therebetween. Theupper sheet 5 has spaced apertures 8 spaced equidistantly from thecenter thereof, on its longitudinal axis opening within the spacebetween adjacent corrugations of sheet 7. An in-' verted U-shaped wirehandle 10 is provided. The extremities of the legs of the U are offsetand bent on themselves to provide axially aligned loops 11 angularlyoffset from the plane of handle 10. The loops 11 on the handle 10 areprojected within the'apertures 8 in the sheet 5 of the fibreboard unit 4to dispose them in longitudinal alignment in the channel formedbetweensaid adjacent corrugations in the sheet 7. A rod 12 inserted in one end'of the section 4 between said adjacent corrugations, thread1 through theloops 11 of the handle .10 therein to be disposed longitudinally withoutthe unit' 4. The rod .12 isthus contained within section 4 and locks thehandle 1( thereto in this simple manner. As will be obvious, grasp-.

ing of the handle 10 lifts the structure 4 through the container 1,transversely thereof, to and over the upper surface level of the producttherein. The inner flaps 2 are folded over the ends of the structure 4,the handle 10 projecting up between spaced ends of the flaps at rightangles thereto. The outer flaps 3 are then folded over at right anglesto the inner flaps 2 to dispose their extremities in spaced relationaccommodating the projection of the handle therebetween in a planeparallel to their adjacent spaced extremities which are sealed to theinner flaps in a suitable manner. The corrugated section 4 is suitablydimensioned to nest immediately to the inner surfaces of the container.

A sealed container results including a unitary carrying device which hasbeen freely inserted without modification or mutilation of thecontainer. 10 of the carrying unit as sealed to the container, theeontaiiler; is fully and strongly supported through the medium thereofthe weight being distributed in a manner believed obvious. Thisembodiment of the invention is exceedingly simple to fabricate andcorrespondingly low cost in nature. Moreover, it provides optimumconvenience in effecting a carrying means for a container of any nature.The offset of the loops 11 enables the handle 10 to lie flat to theouter surface of the container, facilitating storage. and shippingthereof. a

FIG. 5 of the drawings shows a further embodiment of the invention to beused when the package to be carried basically provides a container ofcorrugated material. -In this instance the handle is formed as providedin the first described embodiment with loops 11 at the extremities ofthe legs thereof and oifset from the plane of the handle in axialalignment. Hence since the container ;1 is formed of corrugatedfiber-board, the outer flaps 3' are provided with axially alignedapertures 13 in their hinged extremities, co-axially of a space betweenadjacent aligned corrugations in their sheets 7'. Apertures 8." areprovided in each of the outer flaps 3' opening into the space betweensaid adjacent aligned corrugations. The loops 11' on the handle 10' aredisposed through the apertures 8', bridging the space between theextremities of flaps 3.

- A rod 12 inserted through one aperture 8 in one flap 3' threadsthrough the loop 11' in the space between said adjacent corrugationstherein and into the aligned space between said adjacent corrugations inthe other flap 3 through the loop 11' projecting therein to lock thehandle 10 to the container 1' as an integral part thereof.

In this second modification of the invention, the rod 12 and handle 110'are integrally incorporated to the container 1' after the container isclosed in a simple and efiective manner believed obvious.

In the first embodiment, in addition to serving as a stable. support forthe container for lifting and carrying purposes, the unitary carryingstructure there provided serves to seal the product within the containerand prevent sifting of the powder or granules therefrom.

It will be readily obvious that novelty is eflected in the art byutilizing corrugated material as the medium for integrating the carryinghandle to the container in asimple yet effective manner. In either formdescribed, a support of substantial strength is provided which isdurable, economical and available for re-use. The adaptable nature ofembodiments of the invention to any form of container, utilizingcorrugated mediums, lends a versatility creating a definite advance inthe an.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing' the particularfeatures of advantage before enumer-' ated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions,detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved'or sacrificing any of its advantages,

WhiIe in order to comply with the statute the invention On grasping thehandles,oo1,,ess A 4 has been described in language more or lessspecific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the in-'vention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that themeans and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of severalmodes of putting the invention into effect, and the inventionistherefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within thelegitimate and valid scope of the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A carton carrying device comprising, a board unit, at least a portionthereof being corrugated, apertures in said board unit communicatingwith the space between adjacent corrugations, handle means having spacedprojecting portions disposed through said apertures into said spacebetween said adjacent corrugations and means lying between said adjacentcorrugations threaded through said projecting portions of said handlewhereby lifting up said handle will effect a lift of said board unitthrough the medium of said means threaded through the projectingportions thereof.

2. A carton carrying device including, a board unit consisting'of atleast superimposed layers of sheet material having a rod elementcontained therein, apertures in one of said layers in communication withsaid rod element and handle means interlocked through said apertures tosaid rod element, said handle means having a grip portion in projectingrelation to the board unit and turned over legs entering said apertures,said legs terminating in reversely bent portions encircling said rod,the other one of said layers limiting inward movement of the legs ofsaid handle and, said one layer limiting endwise movement of the handlealong said rod.

' 3. A carrying device including, a handle element of an invertedU-shaped nature having the legs thereof ofiset at their extremities andbent upon themselves to form loops in axially aligned relation, a rodelement rotatably related to said handle threaded through said axiallyaligned loops, said rod element having container means in saudwichingrelation thereto providing means for lifting and carrying a container.

4- In combination, a carton type container having axially alignedapertures therein, apertures in said container intermediate said axiallyaligned apertures at right angles thereto, ahandle means having portionsprojecting through said second mentioned apertures in axial alignment,with said axially aligned apertures and means threaded through saidaxially aligned apertures and said projecting portions of said handlemeans to afford a portable container thereby.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, wherein said handle means isrotably related to said means threaded therethrough and has an offset atsaid projecting portions permitting its disposition in abutting relationto the surface of the container for shipping or storage.

6. A carton carrying device including, a sandwich type board structureof a dimension to nest in the top of a container and having reinforcingmeans contained therein, and an inverted substantially U-shaped handlehaving means projected through a surface of said board structure andengaged to reinforcing means therein, said sandwich type board structureincluding intermediate corrugated sheet structure, said reinforcingmeans being aligned between adjacent corrugations thereof.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 6 wherein said projected means onsaid handle are in the form of eyelets, the reinforcing means in saidsandwich type board structure being provided by rod means.

8. In combination with a paper board container having sealing flaps atright angles to each other at one side thereof, a corrugated boardstructure having an inverted substantially U-shaped handle. elementdisposed to have its extremities project therein between adjacentcorrugations thereof and rod means sandwiched therein threaded throughthe extremities of saidhandle, said corrugated 5 board element beingnested said carton in underlying relation to said flaps to have saidhandle project there between.

9. A carton carrying device, including spaced apart layers of sheetmaterial and an intermediate strip of undulating section, said layersand said strip being secured together to define an integral board unit,a stifi rod longitudinally disposed between undulation of said stripbetween said layers, one of said layers having longitudinally spacedapart openings therein exposing said rod, and a handle having a gripportion above said one layer and turned over legs received in respectiveopenings in said one layer, the extremities of said legs having loopsengaged with said rod and said one layer limiting endwise movement ofthe handle along said rod.

10. A carton carrying device according to claim 9, characterized in thatsaid openings are formed in an overlying one of said layers, anunderlying one of said layers being in closing relation to said openingsto limit inward movement of the legs of said handle and to precludecommunication between opposite sides of the board unit through saidopenings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,158,707 Morton Nov. 2, 1915 1,950,376 Alexander Mar. 13, 19342,052,525 Belcher Aug. 25, 1936 2,093,616 Mo Sept. 21, 1937 2,163,138Baldwin June 20, 1939 2,741,420 Bodard Apr. 10, 1956 2,790,585 SmithApr. 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 211,396 Switzerland Dec. 2, 1940

